Statement from the LDS Church Ending its partnership as a charterd organization with all Scouting programs effective Dec. 31, 2019

Dear Scouting volunteer leaders, families, and community supporters:

Please see the statement below addressing the announcement that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is ending its partnership as a chartered organization with all Scouting programs effective December 31, 2019. View the Frequently Asked Questions here...

The LDS Church has been a wonderful partner with Scouting for more than a century. Approximately 425,000 youth (or 18.5% of the BSA’s total youth membership of 2.3 million) nationwide in the LDS Church are served by the Cub Scout and Boy Scout programs. For LDS families who want to continue in Scouting beyond 2019, the BSA will ensure a smooth transition to community-sponsored units that will welcome youth previously served by LDS-sponsored units.

In our local Old North State Council, we presently have 24 Scouting units (Cub Scout Packs and Boy Scout Troops) serving 274 youth through our partnerships with LDS churches.

As I receive further updates on this topic from our BSA national office, I will share them with you.

Thank you for your commitment to local Scouting. Together, we are positively impacting the lives of more than 8,700 youth and their families throughout the 8-county area of the Old North State Council.

Yours in Scouting,
Ed Martin, Scout Executive/CEO of the Old North State Council, Boy Scouts of America

A Joint Statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and The Boy Scouts of America
May 9, 2018

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Boy Scouts of America have been partners for more than 100 years. The Scouting program has benefited hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saint boys and young men, and BSA has also been greatly benefited in the process. We jointly express our gratitude to the thousands of Scout leaders and volunteers who have selflessly served over the years in Church-sponsored Scouting units, including local BSA districts and councils.

In this century of shared experience, the Church has grown from a U.S.-centered institution to a worldwide organization, with a majority of its membership living outside the United States. That trend is accelerating. The Church has increasingly felt the need to create and implement a uniform youth leadership and development program that serves its members globally. In so doing, it will be necessary for the Church to discontinue its role as a chartered partner with BSA.

We have jointly determined that, effective on December 31, 2019, the Church will conclude its relationship as a chartered organization with all Scouting programs around the world. Until that date, to allow for an orderly transition, the intention of the Church is to remain a fully engaged partner in Scouting for boys and young men ages 8–13 and encourages all youth, families, and leaders to continue their active participation and financial support.

While the Church will no longer be a chartered partner of BSA or sponsor Scouting units after December 31, 2019, it continues to support the goals and values reflected in the Scout Oath and Scout Law and expresses its profound desire for Scouting’s continuing and growing success in the years ahead.